Asbury Park police pursuit ends in arrest, injured cops

A police pursuit in the city ended this week with charges against a man who police say brandished a handgun as he falsely identified himself as a police officer, and two police officers were injured in a fight during the arrest, authorities said Friday.
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ASBURY PARK – A police pursuit in the city ended this week with charges against a man who authorities say brandished a handgun after he falsely identified himself as a law enforcement officer, and two police officers were injured in a fight during the man’s arrest, a police spokesman said Friday.

Anthony Kennedy, 26, of Edgewater Park was charged Wednesday with impersonating a police officer, aggravated assault, aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, receiving stolen property and eluding, according to Deputy Chief Anthony Salerno.

Police responded at 10 p.m. Wednesday to a report about a man with a handgun who drove away in a Volkswagen after identifying himself as a police officer. Police Officer Darryl Whitley saw Kennedy in the vehicle in the 400 block of Ridge Avenue. After a brief chase, police cornered the vehicle in a dead end street just off Fourth Avenue.

Kennedy ran away from officers who surrounded him, then began to fight with the officers once he was caught, police said.

Kennedy had to be taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment of minor injuries and released, police said.

Two police officers, who were not identified, suffered injuries during the arrest, authorities said.

A Monmouth County detective located a handgun, police said.

Kennedy was charged with driving while intoxicated and with refusal to submit to a breath test, as well as multiple motor vehicle violations, police said.

Bail for Kennedy was set at $400,000 with no 10 percent option by Municipal Judge Daniel DiBenedetto. He was taken to Monmouth County jail in Freehold Township after failing to post bail.